New NewS

3/31 My Final Messge

3/26 Colorado Springs City Council candidate seeks to settle $1.5 million judgment before election

3/24 Proud to have received endorsements from County Commissioner Bill Wysong and former TOPS and Parks Board chairman Kent Obee. Having such disparate viewpoints finding common ground shows that I have the ability to work with all members of Council and will build bridges and consensus to do what’s right for Colorado Springs.

3/13 2 fires today and our evacuation plan is a 4 letter word:luck. We need evacuation modeling and I’m the only candidate calling for a complete evacuation plan to save lives. Support me and we’ll bring our evacuation plans into the 21st century.

3/9 In the March 9 (Happy 91st birthday Mom) Gazette, it was pointed out that the City spent $2.47 million of ARPA funds designated for renovation of the City Auditorium. The City hired a company that used all of those funds marketing a $50 million fundraising campaign and obtaining design plans. As a member of the Parks Board, I routinely asked for those design plans and an accounting of the money spent. I have yet to see that the City got anything for the money spent. This is the kind of waste that I, with my background in financial markets, will root out and ensure that your tax money is spent wisely with positive results.

My STORY

I am a businessman, an avid cyclist, hiker, and kayaker, and believe in a balanced approach to city leadership – protecting open spaces while ensuring smart growth and economic stability. A lifelong fan of the Beatles, I understand the need for harmony in all things, including governance.

My early years were shaped by an upbringing in which we moved often, residing in several states and even a stint in Indonesia, where we had a pet monkey and lived directly across the street from the jungle. Experiencing different cultures and environments gave me a broad perspective and a deep appreciation for diverse communities.

I attended Strake Jesuit College Preparatory for high school, where I learned in the Ignatian tradition – emphasizing character, integrity, and a commitment to service. In fact, one of the Jesuit mottos is “be a man for others”. Those values continue to guide my decision-making and leadership traits.

Above all, I consider my role as a father to be the most important. My experiences with my daughter and son continue to shape my commitment to building a city and world in which future generations can thrive.

After moving to Colorado Springs in 2013, I quickly fell in love with mountain biking, hiking, and all of the trails and open spaces Colorado Springs offers. I knew I wanted to get involved in protecting those public lands, advocate for responsible development, and push for greater accountability in government. I joined the fight to keep Strawberry Field a part of the historic North Cheyenne Canon Park because it was added by a vote of the people. I respect the wisdom and will of the electorate.

Additionally, as a member of the Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Services Citizen Advisory Board, I have advocated for continued purchases of land for open spaces and parks. That being said, I was the only member of the Parks Board to vote against the Blodgett Master Plan. I didn’t think a plan was necessary with so many unknowns regarding the adjacent Quarry property and am not afraid to stand alone on principles.

Vision

I fell in love with Colorado Springs well before I moved here as I visited my brother here since the 1980’s. I’ve seen it jump into the list of best cities to live in while I’ve been here and want to stay on that list. One of the best things about Colorado Springs is the parks, trails, and open spaces we have, knowing those features contribute to happiness, increased property values, and better health. I would ensure we keep investing in our parks system and add much needed maintenance to our current portfolio.

There has also been a lot of discussion within City Council regarding their integrity, especially pertaining to campaign contributions from the developers here. I will NOT accept donations from developers as they are often the largest issues to come before Council regarding land, money involved, and the entire direction the City takes. No Council member should be recusing themselves from those debates because they took money from the developer whose land deal is before them. The way to ensure all 9 Council members are a part of those decisions is to not accept developer money. I call on all candidates for City Council to reject contributions from developers to ensure integrity in our decision-making.

Hot Topics

Voter Esteem

City Council recently completed two actions that I am very uncomfortable with. They voted 7-2 to disenfranchise the voters and make the voters vote again on the recreational marijuana measures. Thankfully, our judicial system worked and they chose to let the November results stand. I will defend the Constitution and vow to never try to overturn the will of the people.

On top of that, Council decided not to put the controversial 28 story building downtown to the people for a vote. Knowing that the aesthetic beauty of Colorado Springs is an important issue to the voters, along with density, environmental, and infrastructure issues, this question about height restrictions of buildings should go to the electorate. If Council members respect the voters who vote them into office, they should respect them enough to allow them to make vitally important issues that affect and concern us all.

No Skyscrapers

Follow this link to see my speech at the downtown planning board. I start speeking at 1:54:10

Fire Mitigation and Growth Concerns

Based on growth projections, we will have a set of new challenges. First and foremost, we need to grow strategically and avoid creating too much density anywhere, as density has wrought bad consequences in cities across the nation. We need to ensure our police and fire departments grow accordingly to maintain public safety.

Reasonable Development

Unchecked development is harming our city, increasing congestion, and straining our resources. I refuse to accept developer donations to ensure City Council makes decisions for the people, not for profit-driven interests.

No Developer Money: Unlike some candidates, I will refuse contributions from developers who seek to influence policy.

Smart Growth Over Sprawl: Development should align with infrastructure capacity, public safety, and long-term sustainability. Smart growth includes not trapping people on the Westside in an evacuation event. It also includes adding housing downtown for people who want to live, work, and play there. I want to add on to what Weidner Field has done with sporting events and concerts and revitalize our downtown to attract employers, their employees, and tourists.

Evacuation Modeling

As our fire chief has mentioned, I’d like to do more research in the science of evacuation modeling, reporting of times with evacuation road maps with safe areas identified and the impact of development on evacuation times. We frankly have been very fortunate that we’ve had no major fire since the Black Forest fire. We need to step up our game with mitigation, improve our alert system, and ensure our evacuation plans are foolproof.

Protect Parks

Colorado Springs’ parks and open spaces are what makes this city special! I believe our Parks must be protected from overdevelopment and neglect. We need to do the following:

Prioritize Park Maintenance: we have a $250 million maintenance backlog in our park system. I know that can’t be solved overnight, but we need to address it immediately. Increasing LART would bring in additional funding for parks and be paid for by tourists.

Expand and Improve Open Spaces: I support increasing park land and ensuring sustainable. I would like to visit the PLDO (Parkland Dedication Ordinance) and possibly increase the parkland acreage requirement for new developments.

Strong Neighborhoods

Strong communities make a strong city. I will fight against policies that erode the character of our neighborhoods. We need to stop overdevelopment in our established communities. Neighborhoods should not be forced to accommodate high-density projects. Colorado Springs should enforce our Home Rule Authority and our neighborhoods decide how and if they want zoning restrictions that exist to protect a neighborhood and its’ character.

Preserve the Westside’s Character: the Westside should remain a beautiful, livable part of our city- not a hub for overcrowding and congestion. I believe Old Colorado City, Broadmoor, Skyway and really the entire District 3 are all special. We need to retain the historic character of these neighborhoods.

Endorsements

I highly endorse Greg for City Council District 3. His views on NO Developer Donations are critical for an impartial council, with no ties or obligations. His positions on Reasonable Development and not trapping residents in an evacuation event is very important to westsiders living in the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI). Evacuation Modeling, Critical Evacuation Times and Maps showing the Evacuation Routes are very important for a city with a huge tourist population. As the city grows, parks and green spaces are important for building vibrant communities and neighborhoods. Colorado Springs District 3 is a unique area of the city and needs a Champion to preserve this natural beauty in Colorado Springs. Greg Thornton is that Champion for District 3.

– Bill Wysong, County Commissioner District 3

I have long believed that our parks and open spaces are Colorado Springs’ crown jewels and a key reason why many of us choose to live here.  Greg Thornton is the only candidate in the District 3 race who has consistently fought to protect our public lands and green spaces.  He strongly opposed the Strawberry Fields landgrab and has a plan to return that historic parkland to public ownership.  While serving on the Parks Advisory Board, he was also the only candidate to vote against the controversial Blodgett Peak Open Space Master Plan, prioritizing community interests over development pressures. Greg understands that our skyline and mountain views are part of what makes Colorado Springs special, and he believes the people—not developers—should decide building height limits that impact our cherished landscapes. He refuses to take developer donations because he understands the direct conflict of interest they create in land use decisions, ensuring he will always put residents first. Greg Thornton is the only candidate who truly understands the park protection, historical neighborhood preservation, and responsible growth needs of District 3. I urge you to vote for Greg Thornton—our parks and open spaces depend on it.

– Kent Obee, former Chair of the TOPS Working Committee and Parks Advisory Board

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Greetings, COS Friends!

I don’t typically post political updates, but with the upcoming City Council election in the 719, I want to throw my support behind Greg Thornton.

Greg has played a key role in getting our velodrome reopened to the public and has been a tremendous advocate for all things cycling here in Colorado Springs. I’ve had the privilege of working closely with him and can personally vouch for his integrity, dedication, and overall quality as a human being.

We need more people in office like Greg—leaders who genuinely care about our community and are ready to make a difference. Please consider supporting him when you cast your vote!

– Andy Sparks